MONTPELIER — The state of Vermont is joining Massachusetts and a number of other states and the District of Columbia in urging a federal appeals court to strike down bans on same-sex marriage in Nevada and Hawaii.

The Vermont attorney general’s office says that state laws in Hawaii and Nevada provide many rights and protections for same-sex couples, but deny same-sex couples the status of marriage. The brief argues the result is that same-sex couples and their families are given second-class status and unfairly denied the social benefits and cultural significance associated with marriage.

The brief was filed in connection with two related cases challenging the Nevada and Hawaii laws. It is being considered by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.